Colyton
(Coly is derived from Culli
an old English word meaning narrow) is a small and beautiful east Devon
town situated where the river valleys of the Coly and Axe meet. A
medieval town steeped in history. The Romans settled in Colyton in
70AD. The Fosse way started from alongside Colyton and stretched as far
as Lincoln. Roads also radiated from Colyton to Sidmouth, Lyme Regis
and Exeter. Roman ships would be able to sail up the estuary to within
almost a mile of Colyton. A Saxon parliament took place in Colyton
in 827AD under King Egbert of Wessex. Colyton is mentioned in the
Doomsday Book. The seaport, once a mile from Colyton, was by now 3
miles away because the estuary had silted up over the centuries.
Despite this disadvantage, Colyton became even more prosperous, trading
probably in wool, leather, salt and silk. In 1539 Henry VIII ordered
the beheading of Colyton's lord of the manor and confiscated his lands.
In 1546 they were bought back by twenty local merchants and yeomen for
£1,000. These are the men that
formed the Chamber of Feoffees, which continues to this day. It is felt
they provided the basis of England's councils or local governing
bodies. They established the Colyton Grammar School in Church House in
1599. During the civil war Colyton, being strongly anti-papist
supported Parliament against King Charles I. The Parish of
Colyton's
registers contain many entries of soldiers killed in skirmishes in the
Civil War of 1643. Colyton was the virtual battleground being situated
between the Royalists at
Colcombe Castle near Axminster and the Parliamentarians stationed at
Stedcombe near Lyme Regis.

Later
that century, Colyton provided more
men than any other town in Devon in support of the Duke of Monmouth in
his rebellion against James II. When the rebellion failed, the
notorious Judge Jeffries ordered that 14 Colyton men be hanged and 22
transported to slavery in the West Indies. Saint Andrew's Church with
its unusual octagonal lantern tower and reconstructed Saxon cross
dating from 900AD is set
at the heart of the town. The church was remodelled and extended by the
Normans during the period AD1090 to 1200. The records of 1838 show a
remarkable range of trades in the town including market traders,
farmers, millers, butchers, bakers, shoemakers, coopers, druggist, a
fishing rod maker, glove maker, tanner, gunsmith, linen drapers,
foundry, maltsters, brewers, innkeepers, milliners, saddlers and
harness makers, rope and twine maker, stone masons, surgeons, barbers,
tin plate worker, watchmaker,
wheelwright. Most are no longer operating in Colyton, but almost all
the day-to-day requirements and services can still be bought in the
towns thriving shops. Several mills were powered by the fast flowing
Coly, the millhouses still stand but the water wheels have since
disintegrated. Colyton has one of only two oak bark tanneries in the
country still fully operational. Enjoy the friendly atmosphere as you
walk around the circular street pattern of Saxon design. The centre is
a conservation area with a
variety of architectural gems from little stone cottages to substantial
houses.